1893 Columbian Exposition, Complete Set of 16 Stamps

Be The Proud Owner of Complete Set of Columbians

The Columbians are among the most desirable of all U.S. stamps. Now you can add the complete set of 16 1893 Columbian Exposition stamps to your album. They will be a highlight of your collection. 

Learn more about each stamp…

1¢ Columbus in Sight of Land:  This is the first in a series of stamps commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of the New World.  The illustration shows Columbus sighting land.  However, history tells us that a sailor on the Pinta was actually the first person to sight land on Columbus’ maiden voyage.
2¢ Landing of Columbus:  This stamp shows Columbus coming ashore at Guanahani (San Salvador) in the West Indies.  He claimed the land in the name of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.  And Columbus was so certain that he was in India, he called the natives “Indians.”  A popular error known as the “Broken Hat” variety occurred during the printing of this stamp – when a break developed in the printing press’s transfer roll.  The flaw caused a piece to be missing from the hat of the foreground figure to the left of Columbus.
3¢ Flagship of Columbus:  The Santa Maria was the flagship of Columbus.  It was the largest vessel in his small fleet (measuring 117 feet in length as opposed to the 50-foot length of the Nina and the Pinta), and it was the one on which Columbus sailed.
4¢ Fleet of Columbus:  Columbus set forth on his journey with three ships, and each one played a significant part in the story of Columbus’ discovery.  It was from the Pinta that land was first sighted.  While exploring the islands, the flagship Santa Maria was run aground in strong winds and was totally disabled.  Forced to sail on the Nina, Columbus feared he would never make it back to Spain because of severe weather.  He wrote down the story of his discovery and threw it over the side.  He was determined that the world would know his story even if he died before reaching Spain.
5¢ Columbus Soliciting Aid of Isabella:  This stamp shows Columbus before the queen – seeking support for his grand plans to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.  The king and queen eventually supported him.  However, they first had Columbus investigated by a special committee, and this investigation delayed his maiden voyage for four years.
6¢ Columbus Welcomed at Barcelona:  Upon his return to Spain, Columbus was instructed to go to Barcelona where the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella was sitting.  When he entered, the king and queen arose and bestowed many honors and privileges upon him.  This shocked the court, because such honors were meant only for royalty.  And many believed Columbus to be an ordinary seeker of fortune.

8¢ Columbus Restored to Favor: When Columbus returned to the New World the second time, he began to set up new colonies.  He ruled with a firm hand, and he punished those who did not obey his requests.  Many of his own men objected to his harsh ways.  Columbus was ordered to return to Spain.  He was quickly forgiven, however, because the king and queen were anxious to send him on another voyage.

10¢ Columbus Presenting Natives:  Columbus wanted to prove to those in Spain that he had reached a new land.  In order to do that, he forcibly removed some natives from the Bahaman Islands and took them back to Spain with him.  Although he had established a fragile friendship, that relationship quickly ended.  The natives compared Columbus and his men to the cannibals who raided their islands and kidnapped their people!
15¢ Columbus Announcing His Discovery:  When Columbus was summoned to Barcelona to tell the King and Queen what he had found during his voyage, they were impressed.  They did not want Portugal to launch their own ships and discover lands that could belong to Spain.  They immediately made plans to send Columbus on another voyage.
30¢ Columbus at La Rabida:  In his search for a patron to finance his first voyage, Columbus went to La Rabida, where he met a ship owner named Martin Alonso Pinson.  Pinson was very supportive of Columbus and his wish to sail west across the ocean.  The two men became partners, and ultimately, Pinzon was the commander of the Pinta during Columbus’ maiden voyage.
50¢ Recall of Columbus:  In the New World, Columbus was ruling with a harsh hand.  Messengers returned to Spain to tell the king and queen of Columbus’ wicked ways. They immediately dispatched an employee of the throne to go to the New World and administer justice.  Columbus refused to obey the court’s order, and he was recalled to Spain.
$1 Queen Isabella Pledging Her Jewels: For many years, people believed Queen Isabella pledged her jewels to help fund Columbus’s voyage to the New World. This story was later debunked.
$2 Columbus in Chains: Columbus became a prisoner in Hispaniola after being accused of administrative misconduct by Admiral Don Francisco de Bobadilla. He was sent back to Spain for trial and was later acquitted. 
$3 Columbus Describing Third Voyage: The stamp pictures Columbus discussing his third voyage to the New World with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1500. After establishing a colony at Santo Domingo during his second voyage, Columbus wanted to return to resupply the colonists and continue his search for a new route to Asia.
$4 Queen Isabella and Columbus: The design pictures a portrait of Queen Isabella on the left and Columbus on the right. This was the first US stamp to feature a woman.
$5 Columbus: This stamp is the most prized in the set. It shows a portrait of Columbus with smaller figures on either side. The image of Columbus used for this stamp was also use on a commemorative half-dollar.

About the Columbian Stamps 

On January 1, 1893, the majority the Columbian stamps were first placed on sale in large cities.  The Columbians are some of America’s most famous and sought-after stamps, and are considered the first US commemorative stamps.

The Columbian stamps were produced to promote the World’s Columbian Exposition, which was to be held in Chicago, Illinois, from May 1 to October 30, 1893.  The exposition was a world’s fair celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World.  The Columbians were the first US stamps ever issued to promote a commercial event and the first American commemoratives.

At the time of the planning for these stamps, the American Bank Note Company held the US postage stamp contract.  A special contract had to be negotiated for the Columbians because of their larger size.  The contract allowed the printer to charge 17¢ per thousand stamps, significantly more than the 7.45¢ per thousand they charged for the 1890 definitives.  The series was originally planned to contain 15 stamps, but the 8¢ stamp was issued in March because of a change in registration fees.

Fifteen stamps were placed on sale on January 1, 1893, in New York City and Boston.  Most other post offices across the country were closed that day, so they began their sales on January 2.  In March, an 8¢ stamp was issued to meet a new registration fee.

Unlike any other stamps before them, the Columbians created a worldwide phenomenon.  As popular as they were, the Columbian stamps were also controversial.  Collectors eagerly awaited the series, forming long lines to purchase the stamps.  Yet many were frustrated by the price of owning the complete series.  The total value of the stamps was $16.34, which is comparable to paying about $500 in today’s wages.  Adding to the high cost is the fact that the nation was experiencing a depression at this time.  As a result, few could afford the higher value stamps – the series included the first US postage stamps with face values over 90¢.  Some postal clerks refused to sell Columbian stamps because demand far exceeded supply.

As a consequence, used Columbian stamps were selling for close to face value in 1893 – even as mint stamps were officially on sale.  The craze for Columbian stamps was even more pronounced in Europe, where collectors hounded American tourists and begged for stamps from their mail.  A corner of Hamburg’s stock exchange was devoted to trafficking Columbian stamps.  On August 11, 1893, The New York Times reported these transactions were conducted “as carefully as they handled the highest gilt-edged securities.”

The Columbians were on sale at post offices until April 1894.  These stamps would be the final issue printed by a private firm before the Bureau of Engraving and Printing took over stamp production for decades.

The Columbians were America’s first commemorative stamps, making them an important part of philatelic history.  So important that stamp author Max Johl said that the series’ degree of completion is often the “yardstick by which a US collection is measured.”  The series also included the first US stamps to picture a woman – Queen Isabella, who sponsored Columbus’ expeditions.  The Columbians are among the most sought-after of all US stamps.